1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is portable beverage and food containers, and more particularly portable beverage and food containers with vacuum-insulated liners.
2. Description of Related Art
Various designs for portable beverage and food containers, including vacuum-insulated portable beverage and food containers, are known in the art. None have the advantageous features of the container of this invention. More specifically, the prior art containers do not include a container that will float in a position with the handle standing substantially upright out of the water with the container tilted toward its top. The prior art containers also do not have the same advantageous attaching means as this invention for attaching sections of the body one to another, using expanding foam to prevent the sections from detaching. The prior art containers also do not have a handle advantageously extendable away from the body with a mechanism for releasably locking the handle away from the body.
According to one aspect of the invention, a container has a liner with an interior cavity for holding a beverage or a food product and a body comprised of a first substantially cylindrical section and a second substantially cylindrical section attached together. The body substantially surrounds the liner with a substantially cylindrical space between the body and the liner. Attaching means for attaching the first substantially cylindrical section to the second substantially cylindrical section by axially aligning the first substantially cylindrical section and the second substantially cylindrical section, pushing the first substantially cylindrical section axially towards the second substantially cylindrical section, and not permitting detachment of the first substantially cylindrical section from the second substantially cylindrical section unless a portion of one of the first substantially cylindrical section or the second substantially cylindrical section is flexed radially-inwards. Expanded foam fills the substantially cylindrical space between the liner and the body such that the expanded foam resists radially-inward flexing of the first substantially cylindrical section or the second substantially cylindrical section to prevent the first substantially cylindrical section and the second substantially cylindrical section from detaching.
According to another aspect of the invention, a container has a body with a central longitudinal axis and an interior cavity substantially enclosed by the body for holding a beverage or a food product. The interior cavity has a first open end at a top of the body for filling and dispensing the beverage or the food product. A handle is attached to the body. The container has a specific gravity of less than 1 and is water tight. The center of mass of the container is 1) radially spaced from a central longitudinal axis, 2) spaced on a side of a mid-plane of the container opposite the first open end, and 3) spaced approximately 180xc2x0 opposite the handle around the central longitudinal axis.
According to another aspect of the invention, a container has a body with a central longitudinal axis and an interior cavity substantially enclosed by the body for holding a beverage or a food product. The interior cavity has a first open end at a top of the body for filling and dispensing the beverage or the food product and a space between the body and the cavity. A weight is disposed in the space in a position which adjusts the center of mass of the container 1) away from the central longitudinal axis of the body, 2) on the side of the mid-plane of the container opposite the first open end, and 3) approximately 180xc2x0 opposite the handle around the central longitudinal axis.
According to another aspect of the invention, a container has a body with a central longitudinal axis and an interior cavity substantially enclosed by the body for holding a beverage or a food product. The interior cavity has a first open end for filling and dispensing the beverage or the food product. A first pin and a second pin are supported on the body. A flexible handle has a first end and a second end. The first end of the flexible handle has a hole formed therein, the first pin passes through the hole and attaches the first end to the body. The second end of the flexible handle has a substantially xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d-shaped slot formed therein. The substantially xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d-shaped slot has a first end and a second end, the second pin passes through the substantially xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d-shaped slot for attaching the second end to the body. When the handle is in a position flush with the body, the second pin passes through the substantially xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d-shaped slot near the first end, and when the handle is in a position flexed away from the body, the second pin passes through the substantially xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d-shaped slot near the second end, and the handle in this position is biased in a direction to keep the second pin near the second end.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.